Army’s Northern Command head expresses grief over Hanumanthappa’s death

Jammu, Feb 11 (IANS) General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Northern Command, Lieutenant General D.S. Hooda, on Thursday expressed grief at the death of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa.

“Lieutenant General Hooda expresses deep grief and condolences at the demise of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad at the Army Research and Referral Hospital, Delhi, today (Thursday),” a statement issued by the army’s Udhampur-headquartered northern command said.

“With his indomitable spirit, courage and unmatched human endurance, he survived the extreme cold and inhospitable conditions while being buried under the ice on the Siachen Glacier.”

Koppad was one of the ten soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, who were buried alive in an avalanche at the Sonam Post on the Siachen Glacier on February 3.

While the bodies of nine soldiers were recovered, Koppad miraculously survived six days under tonnes of snow. He died on Thursday at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi.